My first thought on waking, was that I was happy. Not so much because I was living the life of a king (although I wasn't complaining about that), but because I had a reason for living: a mission. It was such a different feeling, having a purpose in life, to waiting around for the COVID restrictions to end. While Greyland was starting in a very difficult situation, I believed I could turn it around.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpMB1rGgNK
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For a start, I had to ramp up iron production and correct my earlier mistake. As my first action, I assigned the realm's three iron ingots to the Smithy for more steel pickaxes.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgVYWmuRAM
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpUWN30ofJ
Crucial to my success in this world would be my personal character progression. With some anxiety I called up my character sheet to see if I'd managed to improve it by my efforts of the previous day.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRDgfVYPvA
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqIeV4HRWe
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xRC3tgm6S
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZuiRUkUqo
Str 7517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqyxHZ4KDk
Dex 4517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAju8HuFIIQ
Con 8517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9iADDQDBj
Int 16517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVasgTgyYI6
Wis 16517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiINwiRNzUO
Cha 4517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8v3j1a3ep
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSF9sLK677
Please choose a character archetype:517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3orbHVwm3l
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPGyJX9tUz
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hk21DCjpl
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjq3iikop84
Of course, neither my Strength of Constitution had shifted. I sighed to myself. How many more days of exercise would it take to test whether those stats would rise? Should I give it a week and then give in and choose a Wizard or Healer path? The people who had summoned me here wanted a battlefield leader and my own desire led me to want to be a martial class of some sort. But it would be idiotic to aim for that if I was stuck with these stats.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJX2VMhFeC
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Then I noticed the final attribute, Charisma. It had gone from 3 to 4. Yes! Yes! And again Yes!517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZten9DO5hk
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3hjM4d7bn
Stats could be worked on. A glow of pleasure rushed through me. Okay, so it wasn't a Fighter stat that had moved, but really, after one day, even if I had focused on Strength, I could hardly have expected to see progress. I had a hunch that the reason I'd seen Charisma move was that it was a lot easier to raise a 3 to a 4 than a 7 to an 8.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9sWpczD5k
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iaDNRf6V2
Following that last thought, I had to admit to myself that it might take months to move Strength to something useful in battle, but even so I decided to take the risk and commit to Fighter. It was time to get going. I missed being the most bad-ass warrior in Storm Wars and couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be on top of the game be like in a world where it really mattered? Still, it was pointless, counterproductive even, to daydream. There was a mountain to climb. And I hadn't even taken one step yet towards the summit.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWAfu2ggCx
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I selected Fighter and got a message:517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiS7JDmgyFu
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11kZHqZSBR
Welcome Sean de Courcy, to the path of the Fighter. You have chosen to stand toe to toe with your foes, dealing blows to them and evading their own attempts to harm you. It is a path for the brave and for the resolute. If you are fortunate and progress, in due course you will unlock specialisations within the Fighter class.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0bLZvQlgH
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You will also unlock new skills by discovering them through action. For now, you have 10 skill points to assign among the following:517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JBKfNAYw1
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Bash: action, shield users only, additional attack with shield517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQdKYsADVr
Block: passive, shield users only, wards melee attacks if successful517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxeofjI35Z
Deflect: passive, shield users only, wards missile attacks if successful517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPNWUK3QFG
Defensive Stance: passive, reduces damage of hits received if successful517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqQvHY7iVT
Dodge: passive, avoid an opponent's attack517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARfKcWuRAO
Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXz7OOFroYy
Lunge: action, pointed weapons only, additional attack at up to +1m range517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf4XZ9sWkx
Parry: passive, intercept your opponent's attack with your main hand weapon517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu7Ks5X6Um
Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmvRXkATYJ
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5wxyWvgPD
Quite a lot to think about there. And I had to make my choice right away, as the screen couldn't be flicked away in the usual fashion. Generally, I preferred a min-max approach to RPG gaming. It was usually better to be really good at one skill and adapt your strategy to that skill than to have no particular specialism and be somewhat competent at everything. Ideally, I would have had a taste of fighting before make my choice, so as to get a feel for what would be the best skill to invest in. Here, though, there was going to be a lot of guesswork.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdE3mSACqO
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrMEtmPi09
On the assumption I'd have the support of the high level people who had summoned me, I decided I should focus on attack rather than defence. Back in Storm Wars defence was crucial but here, at the low levels at least, I felt it best to try to rack up experience fast through killing mobs. Lunge appealed most, surely an extra attack and a bit more range on an attack was going to prove useful? When I tried to put my ten points into the skill, however, I got a message.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ081gCVrfFn
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Skills are capped at Level x 5517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1YzjmaiNA
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Adding 5 points to Lunge worked. So for my other choice? Was I going to use a shield? Probably but not necessarily. I didn't know what weapons were going to be available to me here. Parry then. While Quick draw had its appeal, it was very situational. Whereas pretty much every fight I was in would involve the opportunity to parry.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz9MsviMT4
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi13Cz7fnR
My character sheet now had my class and skills, also, an EXP bar, showing that I needed 100 to get to Level 2 and HP. I had hit points! Not many though. And an armour class that at 0 probably reflected the fact that I had no armour on at all. Even if I did, that poor Dexterity score probably carried a penalty.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7ZkuPBGvb
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFu38G3aAQ
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Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoah5rJmcuK
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R0uAmyloQ
Fighter, Level 1 HP 8 AC 0517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpznyLUoxo
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgfNAOOdQl
Str 7517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyi1vD30wi
Dex 4517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6NjTDcKXa
Con 8517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuvoiZYxY6
Int 16517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrf9lOt8eq
Wis 16517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DvvjHXyBH
Cha 4517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VYPXVh1B3
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYYdJltcwO
Lunge 5517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPxzspnREl
Parry 5517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTGIYFV77m
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hdLVwYzaw
Exp 5/100517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscxSxBSyV4
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With the help of the PCs in Greyland, I should be able to level up fast.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxUzXPSduY
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDps0Wwh8c0
If it wasn't for my heavy body, I'd have leapt out of bed with a spring in my step and an eager desire to get going. As it was, I had to lever myself up and then struggle with every single garment before managing to get dressed. It didn't help that I ached all over from yesterday's marching around the barracks square. At last, I was presentable and down I went to breakfast.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg1aJBfrMO
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOOkZsVXdt
Today, the castle servants were ready for me and along with a glass of apple juice was a bowl with more apples and a plate with two poached eggs. I felt desperately hungry and was tempted, when a new servant tentatively approached, to ask for more. But I had to get down to a size where armour could fit me and a horse could carry me. So I had to diet. End of. Back home, I had sometimes tried to cut out unhealthy snacks, and managed for a while, before invariably returning to them and sometimes bingeing while hooked up to Storm Wars. Here, I felt differently. Here, getting the king's body into shape was just as important as levelling up and sorting out Greyland's food supply. There was no 'Will I? Won't I?' discussion to be had with myself. It had to be done.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1oA4Zbfr3
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFstdeSjCpc
After breakfast, I left the keep and walked slowly in the direction of the barracks. The citizens of the town hurried away from me or redoubled their efforts if they were working. For the first time, I noticed that stored away in the shadowy corner of a large cobbled square was a gibbet and a chopping block. Had my predecessor really executed people by hanging and beheadings? It was not a question I could ask anyone except one of the three who had been there at the summoning.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeoRAAwJtQ
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb76otMzda6
The soldiers were already drilling when I got to the barracks and I was pleased to see archers firing at straw scarecrows. Thirteen, fourteen… yet fifteen. Those were my new recruits. It might have been a dumb move using up all my iron before the steel pickaxes were completed but I was glad to see the archers all the same.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIKix9QwH3
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3C90FOXfi
Carradock was there, marching some foot soldiers back and forth. He passed the duty to one of the men and came over at a brisk walk on seeing me.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9CWRSm7ly
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'How are you today sire? Able to continue?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRNMwXUosU
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'Stiff, but yes.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTGPNwqShp
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hnHGPpOUe
'I suggest another march then. Sixty circuits.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCOsuqgR1Z
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUxMOLce9G
'Right so. Before I set off, I've a question you might know the answer to.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5IPkE6ecx
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYahOY4NSI
He looked at me expectantly.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kf8Zj4geo
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'I just learned the Lunge skill. Do you know how I utilise it?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSCbTpVxlL
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnFzcWCRWo
Surprise, then caution crossed the trainer's face. 'Not I sire. Skills like what you're talking about are special. You need to talk to someone like Lord Arval.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBD9IqCePf
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwO9VJTmSG
'Good idea. Send someone to fetch him will you.' As was my nature, I almost added 'please', but no doubt that would be taking my change in character too far.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rsyFjP8NN
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXA690W1ax
On lap six, Lord Arval fell in step. 'Sire?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFGQguKWt5
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYvNuOAl4V
'Two questions.' I already felt the need to be economical with my breath. 'Active skills like Lunge, how do I use them? And what's the quickest way for me to level up? Got some giant bats I can kill?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffqcBPcxzQ
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDDlTin91l
'Skills? You'll see them as selectable icons when the right conditions are met. I mean when timers are ready; or the right weapon is in hand; or you've moved yourself into the right position. Skills are very experiential. You get to discover them and advance them mostly by practice.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHmYOGMQo8
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyA9wmDpON
I nodded, hands swinging like pendulum weights as I strode determinedly around the square.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1jKEPD4Qp
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Lord Arval kept pace effortlessly. 'For levelling up, I think quests. Without access to the menus I can't be exact, but I felt that just by performing chores for the townspeople I became significantly stronger. Perhaps reaching level three or four.' He gave me a sharp look. 'It helps with your reputation with them too.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGUQPJJaST
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yGfVJD3Kt
'Good. I'll be done here by midday, come with me this afternoon and show me these quests.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMo4zTw3US
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnC8HDWccN
First checking no one was close enough to overhear us, Lord Arval leaned closer and dropped his voice. 'I'd never disagree with a command of yours, but I was intending to take the new archers down to Three-Ways Fort and check on our defences. I could ask Carlena to show you the easiest town quests?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxKi2YtgPf
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I caught his – grey – eyes and gave the slightest of nods.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpUvYeR2wz
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoCQPOqbv3
'Very good sire,' Lord Arval spoke loudly and deferentially. 'As you ask, so it will be.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSblunnhwaG
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvqM6ml6jg
The laps today were a little easier and even a soft rain didn't deter me. Walking was good for studying the menus too and I drilled down into the kingdom's various options, reading up on descriptions of buildings and balancing their various benefits against the immediate need to solve our food problem and be able to resist an attack if Southway and Trolland continued their alliance.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EyUEX5h2N
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNAQeahy3I
After I finally completed my sixty laps, I took a salute from Carradock and went back to the keep for a bath and change of clothes. Then I sat in the very large throne in the large hall on the second floor, the solar they called it. Outside, beyond the lead crosses that contained the window glass, the day was still grey. I could have rested there, alone, for some time, but Carlena arrived and waving away the servants who had brought her to me, came over.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlVQXPqMjE
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'You wanted me to help with quests?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi3RpaxVSZ
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'Yes please. I've started as a Fighter but, honestly, I'm not in the shape to hit things yet. So quests are perfect. And Lord Arval said they would level me fast.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvnhtOzRiy
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGFNhfXgra
'Yes, they will. At least, they got me to my third spell. After that, you'll need to battle monsters. Also, your combat skills won't increase unless you do.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdOumIAaGZ
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrlr5B303U
'Right so, let's go and do some quests.' It was painful, moving again after being seated for a while. But pain meant gain, right? And I had the incentive of levelling up to encourage me.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Xdkh8lggD
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r16hYlLBx
'It's been a while since I did these…' She looked thoughtful, long, silver hair tied back so I could see her severe face clearly. 'And try to be more like King Carlos. Everyone is talking about you. About how you've changed.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIQiRRILbU
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'He was a thug, right?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPD7fMrzWe
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'More of a sly creature, like a fox. Watching and waiting … then punishing. Never trusting anyone. You didn't know where you were with him. Not even me, who – forgive the lack of modesty – is the most important person in the kingdom. There was a time when I thought he was going to hang me for treason. Even though that would mean no sorcerer for our battles.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUjZc1Qt1m
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iwVCxnTCF
Having reached the large, double doors Carlena went silent and waited for me to lead her out. From just behind my right shoulder, she muttered directions as we walked down narrow cobbled streets until we came to a bakery.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIOwpShBef
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'In there is a female baker who needs a large rat killed.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1TdJDpovb
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGb1xIOuflM
I barged in, under the swinging sign of a loaf of bread. My bulky body made a small room feel even smaller: counter with several loaves; bare planks for floors; whitewashed walls; back room with an aroma of newly baked bread that made my mouth water.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuaaZ6xZzy
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVqqSRwM0S
A boy, about ten years old, was sweeping dust. His mouth dropped open. A thin woman behind the counter looked at me with pure horror, then said quietly, 'Miya bless me!'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zMgqjbHlq
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'I believe you have a problem with a rat?'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirb9CoJB3i
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No one moved or spoke, until the boy dropped his brush and ran. Then the woman did the same.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjYZ8OBqHi
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'Guards!' yelled Carlena. When two soldiers came running, she instructed them to bring the baker back.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpx18zfspNu
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Feeling impatient, I tried to strum my thick fingers on the wooden counter top, but couldn't, they just thumped down in a group. My crappy Dexterity? Or simply lack of practice with this body?517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5Bs6lVdVW
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At last the guards returned, holding the woman between them. She was clearly terrified and I would have said something comforting, except that Carlena wanted me to stay in character.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYau6YuIN5
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'You have a task?' I asked.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPrVKMokoP
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'But…' she was looking at the floor. 'But… you've already done it.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkHt3yLH3C
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I shot a glance of alarm at Carlena who remained perfectly impassive. No doubt for the benefit of the guards.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xO7A5bunF
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'Give it to me again.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfK1YGXgJv9
517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHxXQDH7PS
'I can't sire, I really can't. Please don't kill me, I have three children.'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaV3F0FciJ6
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'Just try. Just say the words. I'm sure it will work. Go ahead!'517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJEfWPj1Ss
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But she couldn't. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out. Tears ran down her face.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKq0l47UDT
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Exasperated and not wanting to cause the baker to suffer any further, I strode back outside, took a second to orientate myself, and set off back toward the keep. Levelling up was going to require a rethink.
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